askthegaylatino

Fashion, music and Latino leaders are joining forces Nov. 13 for the Latin Factory 5: Evening in Red”, a fashion show to benefit Latinos living with HIV-AIDS at The Mayan Club in Los Angeles.
Evening in Red will help raise money for Bienestar, which provides an array of HIV-AIDS services for Latinos living with in Southern California and LGBT social advocacy.
Andrew Christian, Octavio Carlin, Tony Iniguez, Alexis “Bong” Monsanto, Java Jean Bar, Husam Salman, Stop Staring and Timoteo are among the up-and-coming Latino designers and renowned names in the fashion industry who will participate in the event.
“HIV is a very real issue for Latinos and that lending a hand is not only elegant but the right thing to do,” Bienestar executive director Oscar de la O said.
The evening begins with a 7 p.m. VIP reception, followed by the 8 p.m. fashion show and concludes with an after party at the same location.
The Mayan is at 1038 S. Hill St. in Los Angeles
Details visit: www.bienestar.org .

Fiction: Proposition 8 doesn’t discriminate against gays.Fact: Proposition 8 eliminates fundamental rights for
California same-sex couples to marry. Proposition 8 denies equal legal protections and writes discrimination against one group of people—lesbian and gay people — in the
California constitution.  

Fiction: Teaching children about same-sex marriage will happen here unless Proposition 8 passes.Fact: Not one word in Proposition 8 mentions education and no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school.
California law prohibits it. -Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley has already ruled that this claim by Proposition 8 proponents is “false and misleading.” -The Orange County Register reports this claim is false. -So do lawyers for the California Department of Education. 

Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.Fact: Nothing in Proposition 8 would force churches to do anything. California, as a member state of the
United States of America, values freedom of religion a cobblestone the country was founded on. In fact, the Supreme Court of California decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiator will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.” 

Fiction: A
Massachusetts case about a parent’s objection to the school curriculum will happen here.Fact: Unlike Massachusetts,
California gives parents an absolute right to remove their kids and opt-out of teaching on health and family instruction they don’t agree with.  

Fiction: Four Activist Judges in
San Francisco…Fact: Proposition 8 is not about courts and judges, it’s about eliminating a fundamental right. Judges didn’t grant the right, the constitution guarantees the right. Proponents of Proposition 8 use an outdated and stale argument that judges aren’t supposed to protect rights and freedoms. This campaign is about whether Californians, right now, in 2008 are willing to amend the constitution for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens. 

Fiction: People can be sued over personal beliefs.Fact:
California’s laws already prohibit discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with marriage. 

Fiction: Unless Proposition 8 passes,
California parents won’t have the right to object to what their children are taught in school.Fact:
California law clearly gives parents and guardians broad authority to remove their children from any health instruction if it conflicts with their religious beliefs or moral convictions.

After marking their ballots LGBT and friends are invited to watch the results and celebrate at an election night party from 6 p.m. to midnight Nov. 4 at The Music Box @ Fonda Theater in
Los Angeles. “People want to be with community,” said Los Angeles Gay and

 Details visit:  www.lagaycenter.org/election.

Long Beach residents are invited to the State of the Center Breakfast, from 9:30 to 11 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 8 at The Great Hall at First Congregational Church,

in
Long Beach.

Board members will discuss the shape of The Center’s
Long Beach’s new mental health counseling program, the Mentoring Youth Through Empowerment program and the 20-somethings groups, AIDS Ride Long Beach, Safe Zone for our schools.

RSVP at (562) 434-4455 or jamesg@centerlb.org

The NO on 8 Campaign is asking community members to help defeat a proposal to ban same-sex marriage in
California.Volunteers are needed to talk to undecided voters in Long Beach and

Orange
County on site and on the phones.  Helpers will be provided with training and dinner provided.

Details: call Kathleen at (202) 577-3139, Deirdre at (323) 377-6556 or e-mail: kcampisno@thetaskforce.org

Gays and straights, young and

by ZAMNÁ ÁVILA

and play make believe, don’t wait

until Oct. 31 to relive your childhood.

Oct. 25 in Palm Springs.Read more at http://www.inlamagazine.com/pdfedition/1118.pdf

The Life Group LA is seeking volunteers to become part of their family caregivers. The Life Group LA, founded in 2005, provides free information and emotional support through forums.

Interested people can attend a 3-day required training session Nov. 1, 2 and 8 in
Los Angeles.The training you include a model of compassionate presence, enhancing active listening, giving and receiving constructive feedback, acknowledging and embracing diversity, cultural sensitivity, crisis management, identifying hidden agendas, role playing, recognizing substance abuse, establishing a rapport, non-verbal communication and setting appropriate boundaries. Other trained volunteers also facilitate support groups at the POZ Life Weekend Seminars and the VIDAS Positivas and other capacities such as fundraising, outreach, volunteer development and organizational development.TLGLA also is seeking assistance with grant writing, weekend technical support, presentations and massage therapy.  

Description of volunteer services needed:  

Emotional Support VolunteersCo-facilitators support group or provide one-on-one emotional support for persons affected by HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses for 36 hours on two weekends. Volunteers asked to give two to four hours of their time per week for six months, including the supervision of bimonthly peer support groups.  

POZ Life Weekend Seminar FacilitatorsCo-facilitators support groups during a weekend seminar for people infected or affected by HIV-AIDS. Spanish-speaking volunteers are asked to offer 36 hours in two weekends for the VIDAS Positivas Program. POZ Life Weekend Seminar take place one weekend every two to six months. 

Special EventsProvide assistance with planning and implementing special events. A two-hour new volunteer orientation is required. Days, evenings or weekends and one time commitments are acceptable.  

Community OutreachPromote The Life Group LA at health fairs and community events, and distribute information throughout city. A two-hour new volunteer orientation is required. Days, evenings or weekends commitments are acceptable.  

Office SupportHelp with phones, translation, copying, data-entry, Newsletter and other projects. A two-hour new volunteer orientation is required with weekday office hour commitments. 

Committee Volunteer

Provide assistance with board affairs, development, executive, finance, personnel, programs and public relations, depending on qualifications. Attend monthly meeting participation is requested.

 Details: visit thelifegroupla.org/pdf/Volunteer-Application07.pdf 

The Q-Film Festival kicks off Friday with two Sordid Lives episodes, comedy and a screening of Teach our Children Well — a short clip highlighting school violence against LGBTQ youth and the story of Lawrence King.  Eight Sordid Lives cast members of the cast also will be there for the festival, VIP party and a “Q & A” session. Steam, starring Ally Sheedy and Kate Siegel (who plans to attend) also will be showing that night.Saturday starts off with the wide release of two documentaries and a men’s themed double feature, followed by nine short films and gender queer films Sunday. Tranny McGuyver and Taco Chick and Salsa Girl, for example, are filled cameos. Also showing is READY?  OK! with Carrie
Preston of Desperate Housewives and Michael Emerson of Lost. The film festival ends with two showings of the movie Pursuit of Equality, based on the life of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.  The proceeds from the film will support the No On Proposition 8 campaign.  Show times are 6 and 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10. Details: visit www.centerlb.org.

West Hollywood will observe National Coming Out Day by thumbing through history. The city is hosting the grand opening of the ONE Archives Gallery and Museum, from 5 – 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11 at

The ONE organization, a research center for queer history and culture topics, established the museum as a way preserve LGBT past and future “Where peoples of other races and ethnicities have seen the entrance of their collective history into the high school curriculum with such events as Martin Luther King Day and the popularity of Cesar Chavez, the queer community still has no day or event to celebrate,” said Joseph R. Hawkins, president of the ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. The museum will include displays on pre-Stonewall queer history.  
Details: visit www.onearchives.org. 

The campaign against the marriage amendment measure opened an office Wednesday in the hearth of the Latino community.

The East Los Angeles Campaign Office celebrated its grand opening with guest speakers

Los Angeles
County supervisor Gloria Molina, community leaders and representatives from Padres contra la Proposición 8 (Parents Against Proposition The No On Prop 8 Campaign and HONOR political action committee plan to promote the office as a hub for the community specializing in bilingual volunteer recruitment and field opersations. a Community Leaders & Padres contra la Proposición 8 

No On 8 East L.A. Campaign Office is at

in
Los Angeles. Details: e-mail jangulo@noonprop8.com or visit www.noonprop8.com.